


Sorry (Keep Up)

by DaintyDuck_99



Category: Stranger Things (TV 2016)
Genre: Babysitter Steve, F/M, kids hanging out, pairings aren't super explicit but they're there
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-11-05
Updated: 2017-11-05
Packaged: 2019-01-30 00:09:27
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 507
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12642084
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DaintyDuck_99/pseuds/DaintyDuck_99
Summary: After the events of season two, the kids apologize to Max in their own way for trying to push her out of the party. Basically, this is a little self indulgent piece. I wasn't crazy about Max at first myself, but most of the others were excessively rude to her, and I really wanted to see an apology. Also, have some more babysitter!Steve because I love that aspect of his character.





	Sorry (Keep Up)

'This can't be right..' Max reread the note that had been hastily jammed in the crack of her window, which never quite wanted to close. The note, covered in Lucas' neat handwriting, read:

"Meet me at the park  **ASAP**. Bring your skateboard." 

'What an odd request,' she thought, seeing as she rarely went anywhere without it. But Lucas had been nothing but kind to her, and to be honest, she really liked him, so she had gone. It was early on a Saturday morning, and Billy was still sleeping off whatever high he had been on the previous night. Max had slipped out of the house with a quiet, "I'm going to see my friends, be home soon," to her mother, who had been fixing her step-father's breakfast. 

The park was still mostly empty. A teenage girl-probably a sitter-was idly pushing a small boy on the swings while she popped her chewing gum. The merry-go-round creaked, and some dogs barked in the distance. Lucas was nowhere to be found. 

'Not him too...' Max didn't know what she had done to earn the cold shoulder from most of her alleged friends, but Lucas hadn't been rude to her when she didn't deserve it. She knew she could be kind of abrasive sometimes, but it was mostly a defense mechanism. She didn't often dish it unless someone pushed her buttons. 

She turned around to half-trudge, half-skate home when none other than Steve Harrington pulled up. He wasn't alone-five boisterous kids climbed out of the car before he could come to a complete stop. "Don't do that shit!" he called, clambering out a moment later with a bunch of battered helmets and knee pads. Then Max saw what the others were holding. They each had a skateboard, some which looked new (Mike's and El's), others that looked decent (Will's and Lucas'), and one that looked like Steve had made it himself out of a wooden plank (Dustin's).  

"What's going on?" Max looked each of her supposed friends in the face. They certainly looked open and welcoming for once-the change was a bit staggering. Mike, the de facto kid leader (she guessed that Steve was technically the Ringleader), spoke. "We haven't been very nice to you," he started, "and that's not cool. I know now that you weren't trying to replace El. We wanted to make it up to you." "We're sorry," El added.

Max squinted at them all. "Lucas didn't put you up to this, did he?" "No." Dustin piped up. "This was actually El's idea." El fidgeted under Max's stare. "Do you forgive us?" Will asked tentatively. "Would you..like to be a member of our party?"

There was a long beat of silence before Max exhaled and pushed off on her skateboard. She twisted around to see their dumbfounded faces. "Are you coming, slowpokes?" she called. "You gotta keep up with your zoomer!" 

As they scrambled to catch up and Steve fought them all over the protective gear, for the first time in a long time, Max laughed. 

 


End file.
